Electronic Gaming Monthly's Best Reviewed Games of 1992

Space Megaforce

#10

When the Super NES launched in 1991, critics were quick to note their frustration with the system's first few shoot-em-ups. While they largely enjoyed games like U.N. Squadron, Gradius III and Super R-Type, all three were panned for being overrun with slow-downs and flicker problems. With the complaints piling up, it was starting to look like the best shooters were going to stick to the Genesis. But 1992 was a year full of surprises, and believe it or not, our top ten list contains not one, but two shoot-em-ups that are exclusive to Nintendo's 16-bitter. I bet you didn't see that coming.

The first shooter to make the list is Space Megaforce, a fast-paced action game that took full advantage of the system's Mode 7 capabilities. Ed seemed to understand that this Toho shooter might get lost in the shuffle: "Without a doubt this sleeper of a cart is the best shooter ever made for any home system to date!" Martin agreed, calling it "absolutely incredible!" "Awesome power-ups and near perfect game play make this a blast from beginning to end." Sushi-X went one step further and talked about the impressive effects: "These special Mode 7 effects will really blow you away." Between the four editors, Space Megaforce managed to average an impressive 8.75 out of 10.

Axelay

#9

Remember a moment ago when I said that two Super NES shoot-em-ups made the list? Well, let me introduce you to the second shooter: Axelay. Much like what Toho did with Space Megaforce, Konami decided to incorporate Mode 7 effects to create an experience you couldn't find on any other console. The result was an incredible overhead shooter with some of the best bosses the genre has to offer.

Ed couldn't stop raving about the visuals: "Spectacular, and I mean SPECTACULAR, Mode 7 effects, along with HUGE intimidating bosses." Martin said that the "graphics are mind-blowing, and the 3-D effects are among the best I've seen on the SNES." Even Sushi-X called it "the most innovative shooter I've seen since Gaiares," despite giving Axelay the lowest score of the bunch. After the editors were able to pick their jaws up off the floor, they gave Axelay an average of 8.75 out of 10.

Sonic the Hedgehog

#8

Say what you will about Strider, Ghouls 'N Ghosts and ToeJam & Earl, the real reason the Genesis became competitive was because of Sonic the Hedgehog. This little guy managed to do what few Sega games had done before, and that's gain enough traction to sell Genesis units by the truckload. And it wasn't just Sega's 16-bitter that benefited from the blue hedgehog, as Sonic also wowed critics and fans on the Game Gear in 1992.

"This is an awesome translation to the 8-bit Sega machine," starts Sushi-X. "It would appear this will go the same road as Castle of Illusion, adding new levels and challenge to the original 16-bit smash." Martin also loved the game, calling it "the best Game Gear game that I've ever seen." Ed said that "Game Gear cartridges don't come any better" and even noted that the "voice is better than most Genesis carts."

Steve wasn't nearly as excited about this port as his colleagues. "This is probably one of the best Game Gear games to date," he begins. "It is very similar to the 8-bit version of Sonic which is very similar to the 16-bit version of Sonic." He gave it an 8 out of 10. For what it's worth, Sonic the Hedgehog managed to win Best Portable Game of the Year in the 1993 Video Game Buyer's Guide. With 9s and an 8, Sonic averages a speedy 8.75 out of 10.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

#7

One thing I love about these lists is how there's always a surprise buried in each episode. I think that's a good way to describe The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past coming in at number 7. You would think that this would be a game vying for the top spot, but instead it's tied with the Game Boy version of Sonic the Hedgehog. I think it's fair to call that shocking.

To be fair, most of the EGM critics loved the game. Martin said that "Zelda 3 is one of the best video games that I've played in years." Sushi-X echoed those thoughts, raving that "Zelda III: A Link to the Past is a brilliant masterpiece from Nintendo!" And then there's Ed, who started his review this way: "Wow! This is the closest a game has ever gotten to a perfect 10." That's a powerful statement and all, but he has clearly forgotten that he gave Super Monaco GP a perfect 10 out of 10. Why do the EGM editors keep forgetting about Super Monaco GP?

If you're wondering why this Zelda sequel isn't higher on the list, it's because Steve gave it an 8 out of 10. Believe it or not, he likened the game to Super Mario World, where he warned that "Zelda III may disappoint some who expect radical changes in the overall play mechanics." The good news is that Steve was shouted down come awards season, because A Link to the Past was named the Best Video Game Sequel. With that award and an average of 8.75, this third Zelda game sits at number 7.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

#6

What a difference a year makes. After beating Mario for Game of the Year in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog looked to be an unstoppable force that would take the Genesis to victory. Now here we are a few months later and the much-hyped sequel can't even break into the top five. Could it be that critics were already sick of Sega's mascot? No, don't be ridiculous. Electronic Gaming Monthly loved Sonic 2, going as far as to give it a perfect score, as well as two awards at the end of the year. But even with all that praise, it's clear that some EGM editors were left a little letdown by the year's biggest platformer.

Steve called the game "a graphic tour-de-force," but complained that the "play was a little disjointed." Martin complained that music was only "decent" and that "there's not enough freedom to explore the huge levels." He concluded that it's "not linear, but still too straight-forward" before giving it an 8 out of 10. Ed, on the other hand, wasn't ready to talk about complaints and nitpicks, because he gave the game a perfect 10 and called it the "best all-round game on the market."

While the 8.75 average is slightly lower than the original back in 1991, it's clear that Electronic Gaming Monthly still loved the series. All four editors raved about the addition of Tails, the longer adventure and the incredible graphics. In fact, when the 1993 Video Game Buyer's Guide hit newsstands, EGM named Sonic the Hedgehog 2 the Genesis Game of the Year, as well as called Tails the Hottest New Character in a Video Game. (Which is a little weird because Tails is 8.) Sonic may not have topped the list this time around, but it would still be a bunch of years before EGM turned on the blue hedgehog.

Contra III: The Alien Wars

#5

You have to hand it to Konami, they knew exactly what their fans wanted. They came out of the gate swinging, with 16-bit versions of Castlevania, Gradius and Contra. Of the three, I would argue that the fast-paced run 'n gun antics of Contra III: The Alien Wars is the most exciting, but that's just one of the many reasons why it's number five on this list of EGM's best reviewed games.

"This game is not only the hottest action game to appear for the Super NES," starts Steve. "It's the best thrill for the money to come along for any system in some time." Ed was also floored by the sequel, saying that "you can't do an action game much better than this. Konami has packed a lot into Contra III and it shows!" Sushi-X echoed a lot of the same thoughts, while also complimenting the perfect difficulty settings, rockin' soundtrack, Mode 7 effects and multiple endings. "Contra III: The Alien Wars is exactly what a 16-bit title should be." This Konami action game managed to average an impressive 9 out of 10 and pick up the EGM Editor's Choice Platinum award.

John Madden Football '92

#4

The problem with publishing a magazine is that you'll occasionally get screwed by the lead time. Because everything has to be done months in advance, a magazine like Electronic Gaming Monthly might not review a big holiday game until January or February of the next year. This is the case with John Madden '92, the well-received 1991 football game that didn't get reviewed until January 1992.

Although a little later to the party, the review crew loved it. Giving it a 9, Ed proclaimed that "EA knows sports! The first Madden was perfect and this version improves on it." Martin told Joe Montana to go away, because "Madden does it two years in a row." Even Sushi-X, who has claimed to be more into fighting than football, raved that "Madden '92 destroys the competitions once more with a football title light-years ahead of its predecessor."

Now here's a fun fact you probably didn't know: John Madden '92 is the only game on this list to have its sequel reviewed in the same year. If we fast forward to the December 1992 issue of EGM, you'll find a slightly less enthusiastic review of Madden '93. They also ended up snubbing the better-reviewed '92 version when it came to naming a Best Sports Game of the Year, opting instead of Madden '93. With an average of 9 out of 10, John Madden '92 was somehow overshadowed by its lesser sequel.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

#3

In a lot of ways, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time is the exact opposite of what Capcom did to Final Fight. This Konami brawler not only featured four characters to choose from and support for two-players at the same time, but it actually had more stages than the original arcade game. This Super NES port was better in almost every way, which went a long way to make up for how badly Capcom botched it with Final Fight only a few months earlier.

Fake ninja Sushi-X nearly gave it a perfect score: "TMNT IV: Turtles in Time is another conversion masterpiece. If the scaling were better, it might have gotten a 10." Martin also loved the game, noting the superb play control, excellent graphics and two-player mode without a single hint of slowdown. That said, he did complain that it was a bit too easy. In fact, pretty much everybody said the exact same thing. Both Ed and Steve finished off their reviews by calling it a tad on the easy side, which is really the only complaint EGM had. All four editors gave Turtles in Time a 9 out of 10, which earned it an Editor's Choice Platinum award.

Super Star Wars

#2

If we were to go back and count up all the movie references made in the early days of EGM, I guarantee that Star Wars would be the winner by a landslide. It didn't matter that the original movie was already 15 years old and the prequels were still a long way off, the editors would always find ways of working Luke, Han and the Force references into pretty much every issue. So you can probably imagine what it must have been like when a Star Wars game finally lived up to expectations. That game is Super Star Wars, and it's the second-best reviewed game of 1992.

With 9s across the board, Martin called it "a dream come true." "The game is so well done that you can't help getting hooked." Sushi X agreed, saying that "Super Star Wars is destined to become a Super NES classic over the next year." Even Ed seemed to be on board, concluding that Super Star Wars is "easily one of the best games of the year." While there were minor complaints about it being too easy and the control not always being as tight as they would have wanted, all four editors agreed that Super Star Wars is tops.

EGM also remembered the game come awards time, as they named Super Star Wars the Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year and called it the Best Movie to Game. Of course, it's not like it had a lot of competition. The next best-reviewed movie game of 1992 was The Terminator on Genesis, which averaged a 7.75 out of 10. Super Star Wars sits in second place with all four editors giving it a 9. That's hard to beat.

Street Fighter II

#1

From Zelda to Contra to Sonic the Hedgehog, 1992 had no shortage of big games worth talking about. But no release was bigger and more hyped than Street Fighter II, the Capcom arcade port that changed the fighting game market forever. At a time when Nintendo needed it the most, they were able to secure one of the most important console exclusives of all time, and Electronic Gaming Monthly couldn't shut up about it. In fact, Street Fighter II was mentioned on the cover of ten of the twelve issues published in 1992. It was a phenomenon.

When it came to the reviews, EGM gave Street Fighter II a decisive victory. "Games just can't get any better," raved Ed, one of the two editors to give the game a perfect 10 out of 10. "Never since Pac-Man has there been an arcade game that was this popular." Sushi-X couldn't contain his excitement: "Phenomenal! Awesome! The Best! Street Fighter II is the only game I have ever seen that really deserves a 10!" Never mind that he gave a perfect score to Super Monaco GP, because he means it this time.

Martin loved the game, but admits that it took some time to win him over: "Street Fighter II didn't grab my attention in the arcades. After seeing this cart at CES for the SNES, I was hooked." Steve agreed and gave it a 9 out of 10. He likes that "all the moves, graphics, gameplay and sounds are rolled into one 16-meg cartridge that will do anything but disappoint fans of the arcade original or fighting games in general." It's hard to argue with that.

Street Fighter II didn't just impress the critics, it also cleaned up at the awards show in the 1993 Video Game Buyer's Guide. The big news is that it won the Best Game of the Year award, along with being named the Super NES Game of the Year. On top of that, EGM gave Street Fighter II awards for Best Video Game Ending and named Chun Li the Hottest Video Game Babe of 1992. And if that wasn't enough, EGM took a moment to congratulate themselves on publishing a fake Street Fighter II code on April Fool's Day. With an average of 9.5 out of 10 and a shelf full of trophies, I have no problem saying that Street Fighter II was EGM's best reviewed game of 1992.